APPT Main Event ($1,750)

After a riveting day of intense ups and downs, 26 runners trudge on to Day 2 of the APPT Cambodia 2025 Main Event at the NagaWorld Integrated Resorts here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where 172 saw action in Day 1B of the competition.

Former APPT Cambodia Main Event champion Alexander Puchalski of Canada finally made it through to Day 2, albeit with the shortest stack among the qualifiers and is joined by the likes High Roller Turbo winner Nikesh Chawla of India, WPT Championship Event Final Table participant Neng Zhao of Australia and multi-titled Vietnamese icon Nguyen Huu Dung.

The biggest stack, however, belongs to Bo Su of Taiwan who used a late crippling of erstwhile big stack Craig Jones when the Englishman had Q♦ Q♥ against the A♠ T♠ of the Taiwanese player and eventually lost most of his stack on a board that went 4♣ T♥ 7♣ A♣ 8♥ . The result of that encounter gave Bo a stack of 509,000 and ended with 521,000 which dwarfs the stack of Day 1A chip leader Nguyen Hoa Trinh of Vietnam who carries 375,000 into Day 2.

Bo’s only cash on record is an 54th place finish in the WPT Championship Event here earlier this year but is poised to make a major splash if he can build on his edge heading into the deep waters of the competition.

Second in chips is Li Shankui of China with 487,000 while third is Vietnam’s Tran Hai Ha with 451,000.

Day 1C will happen on Saturday (May 10) still at 11: 30AM (UCT+7) while the Turbo version (Day 1D—20minute blinds) occurs later on at 6:30PM.

India’s Abhijith Cheruku raises it to 8,000 from the +1 position and it folds to the BB of Australian Neng Zhao who makes the call.

The flop is 8♠ T♠ 9♠ as Zhao checks. Cheruku CBets 7,500 and gets check-raised by the Australian to 26,000. Cheruku makes the call. The turn card is the 2♦ as this time, Zhao fires 35,000. The Indian still calls. The river is the 6♣ as Zhao goes all-in and is quickly called.

Chekuru flips over A♠ 4♠ for the nut flush on the flop and Zhao mucks his hand. Chekuru’s victory brings his stack into the big stack conversation as Zhao has some regrinding to do.

Nguyen Huu Dung of Vietnam opens from the cutoff for 6,000 and draws in the SB of Australian Neng Zhao and the BB of India’s Umang Kakarania.

The flop comes A♦ 5♥ 5♦ as the blinds check. Nguyen CBets 5,000 and gets a call from Zhao. However, Kakarania check-raises it to 16,000 and the Vietnamese players abandons his plans and folds. The Australian, though, 3-bet shoves and gets called.

Zhang shows A♣ 7♣ for top pair while the Indian turns over 9♦ 6♦ for a flush draw, which he hits on the turn when the 3♦ arrives. The river card of the J♥ makes Kakarania’s triumph official.

The double now brings Kakarania stack into the six-figure mark while Zhao still has a healthy stack despite the hit.